Christmas Recap

I'm finding myself go into major "memory keeper" mode, which is funny since I had zero motivation to do so while I was pregnant. I've spent the last week finishing our family 2017 yearbook, getting chatbooks ready, and having this strong desire to recap these last few major weeks on the blog. Let’s see if I can keep this up (I doubt it), but I figured I should strike while the iron is hot. 

Christmas Eve and Christmas were obviously a bit different this year. On December 23rd, we took Baby Drew home, so by the time Christmas Eve rolled around, I was still feeling very much like a frayed wire. 

I was so, so happy to be home, but everything was still feeling very overwhelming.  Thankfully everyone was really understanding, but there isn't much you can really do besides press on and know that each day gets a little bit better.

With that being said, I wanted to make sure Leo still had a special Christmas, and I really think he did. 

On Christmas Eve, my parents hosted all of my dad's family for dinner. The baby and I stayed home but Leo and Joel went over for a few hours which worked out perfectly. 

I'm not quite ready for the baby to meet hoards of people, so since we are keeping it quiet for a bit, my cousin Amanda stopped over for a quick meeting before going to my moms which was a nice little treat. 

 

When Leo and Joel got home, the four (*wild!*), sat down for dinner and had a lasagna that my mom and I had prepared the weekend before for this very occasion. I was so glad I had thought ahead and we had a nice home cooked dinner for Christmas Eve.

After dinner we put together Santa's plate, set out food for the reindoo's, opened our Christmas Eve jammies, and sat on the couch and read the Polar Express. It was a perfect little night with our new family of four. 

 

Christmas morning we started off with cinnamon rolls and coffee and opened presents as our little family at home.  

 

At like 10:30 we packed up the kids (*still wild!) and headed over to my parents to open presents with them and my sisters. 

My sisters were so excited to give Leo some of his Christmas gifts - one of which was his leaf blower so that he can "be like Papa" and the kid hasn't set it down since. 

 

My parents also hosted a Christmas dinner with more family - which we had Leo stay for which was great - and then Joel picked him up afterwards so we could come back home and play with all of his new toys. 

My sisters had to work on Tuesday morning so I was sad that I didn't get to spend much time with them, but I know they'll be spending a lot of weekends out here in the burbs with their two favorite babies.

On the day after Christmas, my mom and dad hung with us, we played games, had mimosas, cracked open a puzzle, and my mom made us a ton of chicken salad and cooked us all an amazing dinner.

 Since then, I've really soaked in having Joel home. He's been an enormous help (he's currently mopping the floors as I type this). It's been freaking freezing, so everyone is feeling a little land locked but we're doing great and taking things day by day.